Page 23 - Vol.38-No.6

FISHERIES & FISH FARMING

RECORD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

PRODUCTION MAKES CRITICAL CONTRIBUTION TO

GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

Significant growth in aquaculture has cluding algae) has increased at an average Total production of aquatic animals is
driven global fisheries and aquaculture pro- annual rate of 3.0 percent since 1961, al- expected to reach 202 million tonnes in
duction to a record high as aquatic foods most twice that of annual world population 2030, mainly due to the continuing growth
make an increasingly critical contribution growth – reaching 20.2 kg per capita, more of aquaculture, projected to reach 100 mil-
to food security and nutrition in the 21st than double the consumption in the 1960s. lion tonnes for the first time in 2027 and
century, according to a report from the UN Over 157 million tonnes – or 89 percent 106 million tonnes in 2030.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). of aquatic animal production, were used The need for a Blue
The 2022 edition of The State of World for direct human consumption in 2020, a
Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) says the slightly higher volume than in 2018, despite Transformation
growth of aquaculture, particularly in Asia, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. FAO says more needs to be done to feed
lifted total production of fisheries and aq- Aquatic foods contribute about 17 percent the world’s growing population while en-
uaculture to an all-time high of 214 million of the animal proteins consumed in 2019, hancing the sustainability of stocks and
tonnes in 2020, comprising 178 million reaching 23 percent in lower-middle-in- fragile ecosystems and protecting lives and
tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million come countries and more than 50 percent livelihoods in the long-term. According to
tonnes of algae. in parts of Asia and Africa. SOFIA 2022, the sustainability of marine
fishery resources remains of significant
Production of aquatic animals in 2020 Asian countries were the source of 70
was 30 percent higher than the average percent of the world’s fisheries and aqua- concern, with the percentage of sustain-
in the 2000s and more than 60 percent culture production of aquatic animals in ably fished stocks falling to 64.6 percent
above the average in the 1990s. Record 2020, followed by countries in the Amer- in 2019, a 1.2 percent decline from 2017.
aquaculture output of 87.5 million tonnes icas, Europe, Africa and Oceania. China re- However, there are encouraging signs
of aquatic animals largely drove these out- mained the top fisheries producer, followed as sustainably fished stocks provided 82.5
comes. by Indonesia, Peru, the Russian Federation, percent of the total volume of 2019 land-
As the sector continues to expand, FAO the United States, India and Viet Nam. ings a 3.8 percent increase since 2017.
says more targeted transformative changes Aquaculture shapes the This seems to indicate that larger stocks
are needed to achieve a more sustainable, future of aquatic foods are being managed more effectively.
inclusive and equitable fisheries and aqua- FAO promotes Blue Transformation, a
culture sector. A ‘Blue Transformation’ in Aquaculture has grown faster than visionary strategy to meet the twin chal-
how we produce, manage, trade and con- capture fisheries in the last two years and lenges of food security and environmen-
sume aquatic foods, is crucial if we are to is expected to expand further over the tal sustainability while ensuring equitable
achieve the UN Sustainable Development next decade. In 2020, animal aquaculture outcomes and gender equality.
Goals. production reached 87.5 million tonnes, Climate and environment-friendly pol-
‘’The growth of fisheries and aquaculture 6 percent higher than in 2018. On the icy and practices, as well as technological
is vital in our efforts to end global hunger other hand, capture fisheries production innovation, are also vital for change.
and malnutrition but further transforma- dropped to 90.3 million tonnes, a fall of ‘’Blue Transformation is an objective-driv-
tion is needed in the sector to address the 4.0 percent compared with the average en process through which FAO Members
challenges,’’ says FAO Director General, QU over the previous three years. and partners can maximize the contribution
Dongyu. ‘’We must transform agrifood sys- The reduction in capture fisheries produc- of aquatic food systems to enhance food
tems to ensure aquatic foods are sustaina- tion was mainly driven by the COVID-19 security, nutrition and affordable healthy
bly harvested, livelihoods are safeguarded pandemic, which severely disrupted fish- diets, while remaining within ecological
and aquatic habitats and biodiversity are ing activities, market access and sales, as boundaries,’’ says Manuel Barange, Director
protected.’’ well as a reduction in China’s catches and a of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.
Aquatic foods are contributing more than fall in the naturally-fluctuating anchoveta Fisheries and aquaculture contribute to
ever before to food security and nutrition. catches. employment, trade and economic devel-
Global consumption of aquatic foods (ex- Growing demand for fish and other opment. The total first sale value of fish-
aquatic foods is rapidly changing the fish- eries and aquaculture production of aquatic
eries and aquaculture sector. Consumption animals in 2020 was estimated at $406
is expected to increase by 15 percent to billion, of which $265 billion came from
supply on average 21.4 kg per capita in aquaculture production.
2030, driven mostly by rising incomes According to the latest data, an estimat-
and urbanization, changes in post-har- ed 58.5 million people were employed in
vest practices and distribution, as well as the sector and of these approximately 21
in dietary trends focusing on better health percent were women. Around 600 million
and nutrition.

Vol. 38 No. 6 21